Report of a committee that probed sexual harassment in Telugu film industry yet to see the light of day

Amid the #MeToo movement in Kerala following the unveiling of the Justice Hema Committee report, it has come to light that the report of a committee that probed into sexual harassment and gender inequality in Telugu film and television industry is yet to see the light of day.

In 2019, following Tollywood’s short-lived #MeToo movement, the Telangana government constituted a high-level committee comprising police officers, officials from various departments besides representatives from the film and television industry.

This committee formed a sub committee which looked into into sexual harassment complaints and the factors that contribute to an exploitative working environment, and gender equality in Telugu film industry.

A journalist Ayesha Minhaz, in a message posted on platform X said that the sub committee, between 2019 and 2022, met over 20 times. The committee met around 15 of the 24 crafts councils, which included the junior artists, dancers, makeup artists, and drivers, to understand the work conditions, presence of the ICCs, and reported cases of sexual harassment, nonpayment of wages, etc.